Epilogue
Finn
“Don’t you dare get out of the car yourself,” I growl. Jennie is too stubborn for her own good, but this time there will be no discussion. I round the truck’s hood and open the door for her.
Still sitting high up in the truck, Jennie is about my height, and we have long learned to make use of that position.
She puckers her lips and demands a kiss.
I’m pretty sure all she expects is a peck, but I want more.
I step between her legs and undo her hair bun, slowly wrapping my hand in her tresses.
I want that feeling of being in control, because quite frankly I am anything but.
These last two weeks have been hell, with her in the hospital and me not being able to stay with her.
The family room in the small hospital had been occupied by a couple who’d just had triplets.
I visited daily, but visits just don’t cut it.
I want to be around my wife all the time.
Now that she is home, I want to seize any opportunity to hold her, kiss her, claim her.
She eagerly wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me back with the same ferocity. Let’s be straight here—the same way she is all mine, I am hers. Forever. I couldn’t be any happier. That is until a low whimper from the backseat interrupts the sensual dance of our tongues.
Jennie and I break apart. I help her down to the ground and open the back door. “Hey now, Nugget, Daddy’s here.” I unbuckle her seat and heft it out of the truck.
“Stop calling her that,” Jennie admonishes me.
“I think it’s an apt description,” I insist.
“That moniker will stick sooner than you think. And she’ll hate you for it.”
I carry the car-seat in one hand and wrap my free arm around Jennie’s shoulder. “Nugget will never hate me. Just as her momma won’t.”
Jennie bumps my hip with hers. “You’re awfully sure of that, are you?”
“Yes.” I kiss the top of her head. “Awfully so.”
I unlock the front door and we walk in. I am excited to see Jennie’s reaction to the nursery.
When she left for the hospital it was a cozy, but still fairly plain room.
The crib, a highboy, and an old comfy chair for nursing were the only things in the room.
While Jennie and Nugget had to stay in the hospital because of a somewhat rocky start—all’s well now, God bless—I couldn’t sleep much.
Tossing and turning all night gets old after a couple of nights, so I decided to surprise Jennie with the best nursery ever.
Once Nugget is old enough to move into her own room, this one will be Jennie’s library.
Unless we are aiming for child number two, but let’s not get ahead of us here.
I covered the walls with bookshelves that I painted in a light, soft blue.
Ma called this color robin’s egg blue. Whatever, it’s nice on the eyes and makes the room bright and inviting.
I replaced that old chair with a new one, big enough for Jennie to lay in.
Or for the two of us enjoying her reading a book.
I’ve never liked reading much, dyslexia be blamed.
In rehab I started listening to audio books and picked the narrated versions of the books I had seen laying around at Jennie’s place.
That’s what got me into epic fantasy. Buying each book twice, on paper for Jennie and as a narrated book for me, seemed a bit overblown.
We soon found out that Jennie loves reading aloud, and I love her voice most of all anyhow.
Hanging from the ceiling is a lamp that looks like the moon, and there is a simple floor lamp beside the chair. Plus of course a night light for Nugget.
On the small table that’s meant to hold our mugs and cookie plates, I have put some extra surprises on display: the latest book from our favorite author that has been released earlier this week. I had ordered a signed copy together with some bookmarks and stickers.
Jennie toes off her shoes and takes Nugget out of the car seat. Our daughter is smacking her lips. I give both my girls a peck and lead them to the nursery-library.
Jennie is focused on Nugget, so she’s already in the room when she notices. Her jaw drops, and she makes a slow three-sixty. “Finn!” she exclaims. “When did you do all this?”
“I was lonely and had help. Grace’s mother helped me with the curtains and pillows, and Hunter found that rug online.”
“It’s lovely!” Jennie beams. She scrambles into the chair and giggles. “Oh no, this might have been a mistake.”
Concerned I look around but find nothing out of place.
Jennie sees me worrying and giggles again, while she pushes the shirt up to let Nugget feed. “I’m never getting out of this thing. Ever.”
This might be the one mistake that I’m totally fine with. Forever.